Have you been a victim of domestic violence?
The text below delineates the broadness of activities which are included in abuse:
Physical Abuse:
- slapping, punching, hitting, kicking, shoving, scratching, biting, throwing objects
- threatening/attacking you with a weapon
- locking you in/out of the house
- abandoning you in a dangerous place
- refusing to help you when you are injured, sick or pregnant
- deprivation of food
- choking, pushing, tying up
- murder
- disfiguration
Sexual Abuse:
- making you wear clothes or to do sexual things that make you uncomfortable or do not want to do
- forcing you to have sex when you do not want to; raping you or threatening to rape you
- forcing you to have sex with other people
- minimized the importance of your feelings about sex
- criticized you sexually
- withheld sex and affection
Emotional (psychological) Abuse:
- insulting/ignoring you
- making you feel stupid/worthless; name calling and criticism
- ridiculing your beliefs
- humiliating you in public/private
- intimidating or harassing you; monitoring your movements
- being overly jealous or possessive
- isolating you from family and friends
- preventing you from going to work/school
- attacking your children/pets
- threatening to kill you/leave you/throw you out
- threatening to kill himself or go mad if you leave or do not do what he wants
- threatening to harm family or property
- coercing you into doing things that you find humiliating or against your moral/religious principles
- lying, breaking promises, destroying trust
- false accusations and blaming you
Financial/Material Abuse:
- taking/spending your money
- preventing you from having a job
- taking or destroying your possessions
- spending most of the money on himself or giving you a small allowance
- expecting you to account for every cent or to do more with the money than is possible
- refusing to give you information about your joint financial situation
- harassing you to the point that you turn over your money or paycheck as a way of avoiding further abuse
- restricting access to resources
Source: UNIFEM Study Guide, WorldMUN2007
